Zelenskyy announced the first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the US
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA)

Ukraine, Russia and the United States will hold the first trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates, said president Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

According to him, the talks in the UAE will begin on January 23 and will last two days: "I hope the Emirates are aware of this. Sometimes we have such surprises from the American side."

Read also
Davos on the sidelines: the world needs new economic strategies instead of resource siphoning

Zelenskyy noted that these talks would take place at a "technical level."

UPDATED. Ukraine will be represented at the meeting by its entire negotiating team – the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, chief of the president's Office Kyrylo Budanov, his first deputy Serhiy Kyslytsya, head of the presidential faction Servant of the people David Arakhamia, Zelenskyy told reporters later.

He also asked the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrey Hnatov to fly out of Kyiv for these talks.

"The Russians should be ready to compromise, because, you know, everyone should be ready – not just Ukraine. And this is important for us. So we will see what the results will be," the president emphasized after his speech at Davos earlier.

He also noted that such talks "are better than no dialog".

"That's why we are under attack, people are living without electricity, we are in a difficult situation. But the Russians are also in a difficult situation: we are responding to their attacks. God willing, the war will stop, I hope so," Zelenskyy summarized.

The head of state confirmed that before the meetings in the UAE will take place the negotiations between special envoy of the president of the US Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

  • The president's new statement was preceded by his meeting with his American counterpart, Trump. Both sides praised the talks, and Zelenskyy said he had asked for additional missiles for air defense.